Blatter wants to move Qatar WC to winter

Blatter notes that you can't cool a whole country

Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s current president, has asked the FIFA executive committee to change the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to the winter months, after Blatter cited the extreme temperatures in the summer months of the Arab country, according to Sky Sports.

“There is still enough time. I will bring this up to the executive committee,” Blatter told Sky Sports.

“If this World Cup is to become a party for the people, you can’t play football in the summer. You can cool down the stadiums, but you can’t cool down the whole country.”

Blatter wants to reschedule the tournament to the winter months, and play all games in indoor, air-conditioned stadiums that would allow fans in the country to be able to celebrate and enjoy the tournament’s glory all around the country, not just inside the stadiums because of the temperature.

The major problem with putting the world-wide tournament in the winter months are the hundreds of leagues who would have to completely re-arrange their normal league schedules and extend their seasons longer into the summer months to accommodate the tournament, to which Blatter says there is still time to make changes for the Cup, nine years away.

“We have to have the courage [Fifa's executive committee] to play this World Cup in the winter and to start to work out now what impact this will have on the international calendar,” continued Blatter to Sky Sports.

“It would only be for one year, afterwards you’d be back to the normal routine. But I will advocate that.”

The 2022 World Cup was awarded to the country of Qatar after the Arab nation beat out the likes of South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Australia in the voting.

Reader Comments

Mr Blatter, as you said, it is certainly possible to cool a stadium, then why there is a need to change to winter? Remember that the football is played inside the stadium not in open area outside the stadium. Then why there should be a change?
If football, as you share, has to be played in the best period, then play in July and June in Europe, USA or Asia. Remember that many people, like Platini, have said that the the best time to play football in Europe is June/July.
This FIFA is a circus. Any football fan as rich as Bill Gate would have already sued Platini for result fixing in a tendering or bidding process to an international court or tribunal. How could Platini have promised a change of a tendering or bidding condition before the process. It is not fair by common sense. The other of the two promises that Platini has made is still a mystery. Unluckily Bill Gate is not a soccer fan. Platini is not being sued yet because no fans are as rich to dare offend the UEFA and FIFA.
Moreover, if you think that you need a party in Qatar, think again. Most fans around the world hate this location. So, whether summer or winter, many fans will boycott this event. Just leave the very rich to party in their "floating hotels" as the Qatar organizing officials proposed to build.